16 Workout Clothing Items to Impress Your Gym Crush

The Best Fitness Apparel to Help Land You a Date at the Gym

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The first step to becoming a genuine gym king is by actually dragging your ass to the gym. And let’s not forget, once you scan your ID, you have to work out, too. But there’s way more to being fit than just proving how much you can lift. Just like in most situations, it’s important to dress the part, since you never know who you’ll run into.

Sure, you may bump into a friend or colleague while working out, but what if you jump on a machine right next to your gym crush? Well, that’s where the perfect gym outfit comes into play. Not only are high-tech tees, shorts, and the like a good go-to because of their sweat-wicking material or flattering silhouette, but they also ensure that you don’t look like a total goddamn schlub in front of your one true love.

Toss that Swiss cheese-looking T-shirt away. Below, you’ll find 16 quality fitness products that every man should opt for when choosing what to wear at the gym.

Best Shirts to Wear to the Gym

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You want to pick out a top that helps to build your confidence. No matter what you’re doing at the gym, your crush (or anyone, for that matter) will automatically be turned off if your shirt is floppy, has questionable stains, and looks like it’s been through a war. Even if it means shelling out a few extra bucks, picking from a brand that uses the the highest quality performance materials — like Olivers, pictured above — is a safe bet.

“The Terminal Tee we like to think of as an elevated take on the old Dri-Fit tee,” says David Wolfe, founder of Olivers. “The unique merino tech mesh fabric utilizes the best in both performance and natural materials to wick sweat, dry quickly, and stay smelling fresh.”

Just because you just ran a half marathon on the treadmill, it’s not a valid excuse to smell like you did. The items below will help to avoid that.

Best Shorts to Wear to the Gym

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Don’t be afraid to show a little leg. Poorly sized shorts that cut you off at the knee will make you look like half the man you actually are. Instead of going to work out in what you slept in, throw on something that can be worn to the gym, and then for when you run errands after. Show your crush that you know how to wear a pair of shorts that expand outside the color hue of black, gray, or a mix of the two. If you’re curious just how to do that, we’ve got you covered. Fitness brand MPG develops “performance-driven fashion, designed to go everywhere and with everything so even if your plans change, you don’t have to,” says a MPG representative.

Shown above, “the ultra-lightweight Pacific Short offers multiple zippered pockets for stashing electronics and subtle reflectivity for taking your run outdoors,” they added. The point here is to look like a normal human on the outside in something functional and versatile even if you feel like zombie on the inside. Again, it’s all about confidence (and style, duh). Check out your options:

Best Pants to Wear to the Gym

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Odds are you are not MC Hammer (and if you are in fact Mr. Hammer, it’s an honor to have you read this article), so parachute pants, breakaway pants, or anything in that realm are strictly forbidden — in life, and especially at the gym. Joggers are in right now, and will give you that elongated feel without the fear of tripping over your pants in front of you know who. Not to mention, they’re incredibly comfortable to boot.

Now, you can’t just pick any jogger, of course. For Nate Checketts, CEO and co-founder of Rhone, he makes sure all his products “are built around the way the modern man lives, works, and sweats.” To him, that means a top priority is using great fabric. “We generally are spending four times more than mass brands on our fabrics, and that impacts how the clothes feel (comfort) and how they fit (the drapes against the body),” he says. “This makes a big difference.”

Extra Items That You Could Wear to the Gym

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You’ve upgraded your look from top to bottom, but you’re not done just yet. You know how people say “It’s what on the inside that counts”? Well, just because you’re wearing top-tier shorts or pants, that doesn’t mean you can use that as an excuse to wear crusty boxers. Yes, you’re trying to impress your gym crush, but that doesn’t mean they’re interested in watching everything flop around like a windmill.

A company such as Pacterra aims to create products for “active consumers.” If it doesn’t perform, and it’s not comfortable, it won’t work. Luckily, its Middy compression shorts do. “[The] enlarged gusset means you're not constantly adjusting yourself at the gym, raised back hem prevents plumbers crack from turning off any potential suitors, and secure-fold pocket keeps your phone/keys/whatever from falling on the floor while working out,” says Aaron Prosser, founder of Pacterra Athletics.

A minimal, yet modern and classic aesthetic can go a long way when you’re at the gym — and will keep your junk where it should be. And once you’ve got a handle on your privates, if you’re still looking for accessories to help impress on the exterior, you can always kick your outfit up a notch with a sleek jacket (handy if there’s bad weather post-workout) and some brand new kicks or socks (to help keep you comfortable on your feet), too.